Day 1

What comes next for proposed virtual charter school in the suburbs?By Tara Garcia Mathewson

More than 100 suburban school board members voted against an online charter school in April that was proposed to serve students from Algonquin to Plainfield.

One board member abstained from the vote after missing the public hearing on the plan.

Not a single school official voted in favor.

Despite what would seem to be a clear-cut mandate, the fate of the Illinois Virtual Charter School at Fox River Valley does not end there. Applicants — board members of the fledgling nonprofit Virtual Learning Solutions — have an appeal option. A state board may discuss the case as early as Wednesday, May 15.

And even with such unanimous opposition throughout the region, local educators fear the State Charter School Commission may find reason to overturn the local school boards’ decisions.